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    Joshua Tree

    National Park California

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2006 Christmas Bird Count

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Date: December 13, 2006
Contact: Joe Zarki, 760-367-5520

On Sunday, December, 31, 2006, Joshua Tree National Park will hold its annual Christmas Bird Count. The Count is held each winter as part of the international Christmas Bird Count sponsored by the National Audubon Society. Birdwatchers will canvas a 15-mile diameter count circle from dawn to dusk in an effort to record each species and individual bird. The resulting count data is used to assess the status of winter bird populations. Begun in 1967, the Joshua Tree Christmas Bird Count is now in its 40th year, making it the park’s longest ongoing wildlife survey. Last year, 65 species were recorded on the Joshua Tree count.

Interested birdwatchers are invited to participate in the Joshua Tree count, which will begin at 7:30 a.m. Counters can meet at one of two locations: the Indian Cove Ranger Station on Indian Cove Road in west Twentynine Palms, or at the park’s West Entrance Station located on Quail Springs Boulevard in the town of Joshua Tree. Count participants should bring transportation, warm clothing, binoculars, food, and water. The count will conclude at 5:00 p.m. Count participants should plan on spending the entire day in the field. Some routes may involve considerable walking or hiking. Prior bird watching experience is desirable, but not required.

The Christmas Bird Count was started in December, 1900 when Frank Chapman implored readers of the journal Bird-Lore to count birds during the Holidays, rather than shoot them, as had been past tradition. Twenty-seven people turned out for Chapman’s first count. Over 100 years later, more than 50,000 participants take part each year in over 2,000 counts held in North America and elsewhere around the world. The Christmas Bird Count is now the largest bird survey ever conducted and the ultimate source of data about winter bird populations.

For more information on this year’s Joshua Tree Christmas Bird Count, contact Joe Zarki at 760-367-5520, or Cindy VonHalle at 760-367-5521.

Did You Know?

Joshua Tree Blooms

One of the most beautiful spectacles in spring is the creamy-white blossoms of Joshua trees. These white candles can be seen from February to late March. Joshua trees do not branch until after they bloom, and they don’t bloom every year. More...